I guess, you say
by smile1
Summary: R/J! *DONE!* Rory can't get Jess off her mind and decides to visit him in Venice Beach. But how does she get his address and where will she stay ?! ;-) She went to Venice to find closure, but will she find more......or less..........? PLZ REVIEW! ENJOY! :
1. Now or never

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! I know I just added the last chapter to 'Wanna bet ?' and I'm fully aware that I still have some stories that I need to finish, but I just had this idea for a story and I just wanted to upload the first chapter. That way I know that this is another story that I need to finish and I was wondering what you guys think of it. It's going to be a fluff story, not a lot of complication between Jess and Rory (hardly any) and it's just going to be a really light story filled with R/J goodness. So, please read this chapter and let me know. Thanks!!! (btw I swear I'll finish the other stories too.)  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
Rory Gilmore sighed as she looked at the scenery that kept passing by. It seemed to pass by slower every time she looked out the window. Not that there was much to look at, because of the rain that kept tapping frequently against her window as if it was trying to find it's way into the warm bus. Even though she knew that it was warm in the bus, just looking at the rain made her shiver. Normally she loved the rain, cause it made the world look unreal, as if you were looking at it from the outside of a globe. But today she hated the rain and she wished that it would just stop. However, the rain didn't stop, it just started to hit against her window harder. Rory was afraid that at one point the window might actually break, but the part of her that was still thinking logically new that that could never happen. It was simply impossible. Once again she sighed and she looked around the bus. She wasn't sure for what. A nice conversation maybe ? Or just a friendly smile ? But all she saw were unfriendly faces with a thin line in the place where their mouth was supposed to be. Rory reached for her book, knowing that it was going to be a cold and lonely trip. She held the book in her hands, playing with it for a short while. Flipping the pages, listening to the way the pages would fall back once she removed her fingers. While she was doing this a small piece of paper fell out. She immediately recognized her neat handwriting. She remembered how carefully she had written that information down, afraid that she might lose it or couldn't read it if she just casually wrote it down as if it was just some address. Because it wasn't. It wasn't just some address. It was his address. Rory rested her head against the cold window, ignoring the shivers that were going through her body and let her mind wander.  
  
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*  
  
Rory knocked on the door of the diner, knowing that only Luke would be there. She knew that the door wasn't locked, but for some reason she felt like waiting. Some part of her was still hoping and wished that he would be there to open the door for her and that they could have one of their discussions about books. But she had to face the cold and hard truth, Jess wasn't going to be there. Finally the door opened and Luke got a surprised expression on his face when he saw her.  
  
Luke: "Rory ?''  
  
R: "Hey Luke.''  
  
Luke: "What are you doing here ?''  
  
R: "Can I come in, please ?''  
  
Luke nodded and took a step back so she could come in to the diner that reminded her of him so much. Too much even, cause she felt a sharp pain in her heart and for a minute she was afraid that she was going to start crying. But she didn't. She hadn't cried over him when he left, or when she heard his familiar voice on the other end of a phone line. She had stayed strong and put on a happy face. She even had enough courage to talk to him at her graduation. Sure, he was in Venice, but it had been nice to know that he was there, listening to her. Although she had forgiven him for the fact that he didn't graduate, not taking her to the prom and not telling her about all this, she still hadn't gotten the closure that she wanted yet. And that was why she was here..........for closure. Or at least taking the first step towards it.  
  
Luke: "Rory......."  
  
R: "Yeah ?''  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts that were too depressing for words and looked up at Luke.  
  
Luke: "Are you okay ?"  
  
She heard his voice soften and she knew that he felt guilty for not telling her about Jess' problems.  
  
R: "I'm fine. I just wanted to ask you something."  
  
Luke: "What is it ? Don't tell me your mom send you over here for coffee. I swear that woman is out of her mind."  
  
R: "She didn't. She doesn't even know I'm here." Luke: "Oh."  
  
Rory tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She couldn't help it, it was a nervous habit. And right now she was nervous. Her mind was filling itself with doubts and questions that started with what if.  
  
R: "It's about Jess."  
  
Luke: "Oh.''  
  
Luke adjusted his baseballcap and lowered his eyes. Rory could only imagine how difficult it was for Luke to talk about Jess when Jess just left him. He didn't keep his promise and bailed on Luke.........and her.  
  
R: "I'm sorry Luke. If you don't wanna talk about it I'll completely understand."  
  
Luke: "No, it's okay. Ask whatever it is that you' ve got on your mind."  
  
Rory knew what she wanted to ask him, she had recited that question over and over in her head as she was walking over here, but for some reason it was harder now that she was actually standing in front of Luke. She clasped her hands together and found the courage to look up at Luke.  
  
R: "You know where he went. Jess I mean, right ?''  
  
Luke slowly nodded his head, growing more uncomfortable by the second.  
  
R: "Did.........did he leave an address or a phone number or something ?"  
  
It seemed to take Luke ages to answer, but Rory was patient. She knew that it was hard for him and if by being patient she would get what she wanted........it was more than worth it.  
  
Luke: "An address................. He left an address."  
  
Rory was quiet for a while, not sure how to continue this conversation.  
  
Luke: "That's what you came here for, isn't it ? For his address ?"  
  
Rory nodded sheepishly.  
  
Luke: "I promised him that I wouldn't give it to you. I promised. He didn't even want to give me the address."  
  
R: "I understand."  
  
Luke: "Rory........."  
  
R: "No, it's fine. If he wanted me to have it, he would have given it to me himself. But he didn't, so I guess.........."  
  
Luke sighed and gave in. He couldn't say no to Rory, he never could. Even when she was little and she asked for a cup of coffee, pouting her lips and looking up at him with those big, blue eyes of hers. He could never resist her.....or her mother for that matter. Luke: "He's in Venice. With his father, Jimmy."  
  
R: "His father ?"  
  
Suddenly things became clear for Rory as if the fog that clouded her brain suddenly vanished in thin air. That's why he left and that's why he didn't.......couldn't tell her.  
  
Luke: "Yeah. I'll give you his address, if that's what you want."  
  
Rory met Luke's worried and doubtful gaze. He nodded and went over to the counter. He grabbed a small, black book out of one of the cabinets and gave it to Rory.  
  
Luke: "First page. You have to copy it."  
  
Rory nodded as she opened the book. When she saw the address she had to hide a smile. At least she knew where he was. She took a piece of paper out of her pocket and borrowed Luke's pen to copy the address. When she was done, she gave the book back to Luke and weakly smiled.  
  
R: "Thanks Luke."  
  
She turned around and headed for the door. Just as she reached it, Luke stopped her.  
  
Luke: "Rory........."  
  
R: "Yes Luke ?"  
  
She turned around to face him.  
  
Luke: "Now that you have his address.......what are you going to do ?"  
  
Rory locked eyes with Luke and knew that he figured out her plan.  
  
Luke: "You're not going to write him, are you ?"  
  
Rory shook her head, shot him one last smile and disappeard into the dark night. There wasn't a star in the sky, but you didn't have to look far for stars though. Cause the stars could be found in Rory Gilmore's eyes, sparkling with joy and satisfaction. She got what she came here for. Now all she had to do was convince her mom that what she was going to do was the right thing for her. After all closure was everything.  
  
*~*~*End of Flashback*~*~*  
  
Rory quickly wiped a tear that ran lonely down her cheek. She and her mom had a talk about her going to Venice. Lorelai didn't approve of it, but she understood that Rory needed closure, so she didn't forbid her to go. Instead she helped Rory pack and gave her a kiss goodbye when her bus arrived. One one hand, Rory couldn't wait to see Jess again, to talk to him and to just look in his eyes, knowing that he hadn't forgotten about her and that he was truly sorry for leaving without confiding in her. But on the other hand, she was afraid.......... Afraid that he didn't want her there and that he had already moved on. He wasn't the one she got the address from after all. One thing she did know though. She wasn't backing down now.  
  
Suddenly she realized that the rain had slowed down a little and the scenery had changed. She could see the ocean now and if you looked at the sky closely, you could catch a glimpse of the sun that was hiding behind one of the gray clouds. Only a couple of more minutes left and the bus would stop. After that she..........well, she hadn't really thought about what she was going to do once she had arrived in Venice yet. But she had Jess' address, so all she had to hope for was that this day, filled with bad weather, wouldn't turn out to be a day she wished she never had expierenced. She didn't want this day to be a bad memmory in the back of her mind, left there to be forgotten. When the buss stopped, she slowly got up and grabbed her bag. It was now or never................... 


	2. Familiar collision

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! Fanfiction wasn't working properly yesterday, so I couldn't update any of my stories. It did give me some extra time to write though, so I got to update this story and Beautiful Black Rose at the same time. I really hope you check them both out. Please review this chapter and tell me how Jess should act towards Rory. Friendly ? More than friendly ? Let me know. Thanks for the reviews I got on the last chapter! T-H-A-N-K-S!  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
When Rory got off the bus she was greeted by the rain that was softly caressing her skin with it's watery fingers. But she barely noticed, she was too mesmerized by her surroundings and by all the people that were outside, smiling even though it was raining. This reminded her a little of Stars Hollow except for the beach and the boardwalk that lead you to all the little shops. But it still had this homey and friendly vibe though. As she made her way towards the boardwalk, a woman shot a friendly smile at her and Rory, being the kind person she was, smiled back. When the rain slowed down and the sun broke through the wall of clouds that were surrounding it, she almost forgot the reason why she came here in the first place. Jess. She looked longingly from the book-store that she spotted in the corner of her eye to the white sand of the beach and sighed. While she started to walk, she looked down at the piece of paper that held Jess' address, not looking were she was going. Anyone who wasn't looking where they were going, would bump into someone or something eventually and that was exactly what Rory did. She collided into someone and had to take a couple of steps back to keep her balance. She murmured a sorry as she made sure that she still had the address in her hands.  
  
J: ''Just watch where you're going next time.''  
  
Jess didn't even look at the person he bumped into. He had been doing that a lot lately. This place was just too small too hold so many people.  
  
Rory, who recognized the familiar, impatient voice, looked up and smiled when she saw who it was she bumped into. Out of all the people here she bumped into him, luck must be on her side today.  
  
R: ''Jess.''  
  
As she waited for him to notice her, a wave of nervousness and anxiety went through her. The one keeping the other from dominating her body.  
  
Jess turned around, ready to give the person a piece of his mind, but stopped when his mind realized why the kindness in the voice had sounded so familiar. He dropped his gaze on the sweet girl in front of him. What was she doing here ? He was sure that he would never see her again.  
  
J: ''What are you doing here ?''  
  
He could see the happiness in her eyes flicker for a moment and wished that saying things before he realized what kind of damage the words could do wasn't one of his charms.  
  
Rory tried to hide the disappointment that was threatening to come to the surface and she tried to ignore the harsh tone that had been in his voice when he asked that question. What was she doing here ? Obviously Jess wasn't that thrilled to see her. And why would he ? He left Stars Hollow without telling her, so maybe he never wanted to see her again. But then again, he did call her at her graduation. Suddenly she remembered what she had said to him that day. What was she thinking ? Of course he wasn't thrilled to see her, she basically told him to leave her alone and then she showed up out of the blue. She wished she could just turn around and leave, but it was too late. She looked up and met his eyes.  
  
They stood there for a while, just looking in to each other's eyes, until Jess finally sighed.  
  
J: ''Luke gave you the address, didn't he ?''  
  
That sentence went through her like a blade, cutting through her heart and slicing her feelings into small and pieces almost impossible to fix. She had heard the disappointment in his voice when he asked that. He was disappointed in Luke that he caved and gave her the address, but it wasn't Luke's fault.  
  
R: ''Yeah, but I asked him too and, well, he couldn't............''  
  
J: ''Resist your charms ?''  
  
R: ''Something like that.''  
  
A silence came crashing down on them and hung around them like a fog. Jess wasn't sure what he was supposed to say or do for that matter. And Rory was trying to find a way to put a stop to this awkward silence between them. She gazed around the boardwalk and spotted the beach. The rain had falling into a light drizzle by now, hardly noticeable and the sky was slowly starting to clear up.  
  
R: ''Jess, can we go to the beach ?''  
  
Jess' neutral expression was almost interrupted by a smile, but he chose to hid it instead. He shrugged and started to head for the beach, knowing that Rory would follow him. When they reached the beach, he heard Rory gasp and glanced at her. Her usual carefree smile was back in place and her eyes were trying to take in everything at the same time.  
  
R: ''It's amazing.''  
  
Finally a small smile broke through on Jess' face. He put his hands in his pockets and slowly followed her as she started to head for the water. Suddenly she turned around and looked at Jess.  
  
R: ''I've never seen the ocean before. I mean I read about it, but seeing it is definitely different.''  
  
Jess didn't say anything, but silently agreed with her. He had never seen the ocean before he moved here either. And the first time he came here, he remembered standing almost at the same spot, just staring at the water and the sky above it. Amazed by the different shades of blue that could be found in them. Just like Rory's eyes. There were too many different shades of blue in them. He wasn't even sure if there were names for all the different colors. He sat down and watched Rory as she looked at the ocean for a while, waiting for the waves to reach the shore. Every time they did, she would run away, not wanting her shoes to get wet. Finally she joined him again and sat down next to him.  
  
R: ''Remind me that I bring my bathing suit next time.''  
  
J: ''You came to Venice Beach without a bathing suit ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah, well, I kinda had some other things on my mind.''  
  
J: ''Bringing a bathing suit wasn't one of them ?''  
  
Rory shook her head and curled her knees up so she could wrap her arms around them. Now that the awkwardness faded she started to think about how nice it was to be so close to Jess again.  
  
J: ''So, where are you staying ?''  
  
Rory shrugged.  
  
R: ''Hotel probably. One with the view of the ocean.''  
  
J: ''No you're not.''  
  
R: ''Okay, one without a view of the ocean then ?''  
  
J: ''You're staying at Jimmy's.''  
  
R: ''No..............I can't.''  
  
J: ''Yes, you can and you are.''  
  
Without giving her another chance to object, he got up and started to walk, but Rory stopped him though.  
  
R: ''Jess ?''  
  
He turned around and met her unsure eyes.  
  
R: ''What's your father like ?''  
  
Jess shrugged.  
  
J: ''He's okay.''  
  
R: ''Okay.''  
  
Rory shot him a small smile, glad that he was getting along with his dad. Jess didn't smile, but the shadow that had been covering his eyes disappeared, as if finally realizing that Rory was really here. He reached out his hand and as soon as Rory placed her hand in his, he closed his hand around hers. He promised himself not to ever let go again, but as soon as he helped her up, he let go of her hand again. Not because he didn't want to touch her, but because he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. What was she expecting from him ?  
  
They were on their way to Jimmy's house when suddenly Rory stopped walking. Jess noticed and turned around to face her.  
  
J: ''What ?''  
  
Rory lowered her eyes.  
  
R: ''I'm not good at meeting parents.''  
  
J: ''Well, Jimmy's not good in meeting or taking care of teens.''  
  
Rory raised her eyes and locked eyes with Jess. She caught a glimpse of regret in Jess' eyes, but when she looked again it had been replaced by his usual unreadable expression.  
  
R: ''Jess...............''  
  
J: ''Sasha is though.''  
  
R: ''Who's Sasha ?''  
  
Jess smirked slightly at the fact that she got the subtile hint that he didn't want to talk about Jimmy. They could still read each other. At least that didn't change.  
  
J: ''His girlfriend.''  
  
They continued walking again, Rory not sure what to expect. When they reached Jimmy's house, they were greeted by at least ten dogs. Rory smiled.  
  
R: ''I love animals. We had a fish once, but my mom is so not a pet person, so you get where I'm going with this, right ? The fish, I think his name was Lucky, well he wasn't so lucky, cause he accidentally ended up being cooked. I think she did it on purpose though, cause she was jealous of how much attention I was paying to Lucky.''  
  
Jess shook his head, but couldn't help to smile. He actually missed her rambling, which was strange cause he had only been here a couple of weeks, a month maybe. As he walked into the garden, the dogs came closer and started to bark.  
  
R: ''They don't bite, right ?''  
  
J: ''I thought you loved animals.''  
  
R: ''Animals that don't bite. Did I forget the not biting part again ?''  
  
Jess softly chuckled.  
  
J: ''Don't worry. The last time I checked they didn't bite.''  
  
R: ''Good, cause if they attack me or anything, you're coming down with me.''  
  
J: ''That's reassuring.''  
  
The first thing Rory noticed when they entered the house, were the bright colors. She smiled. She liked all the pictures and stuff too. She felt as if she just stepped into an abstract painting or something. It was amazing. When they went into the living room, they ran in to two people, which she figured were Jimmy and Sasha.  
  
Jimmy: ''Jess, you already have a girlfriend ?''  
  
Rory cringed at the thought of Jess having a girlfriend. What if he did ?  
  
Sasha shot Jimmy a warning look and returned her gaze to Jess and Rory.  
  
S: ''Who's this ?''  
  
J: ''Rory.''  
  
Both Jimmy and Sasha looked at Rory and she started to feel uncomfortable under their curious gazes. Subconsciously she reached for Jess' hand. Jess entwined his fingers with hers, hiding a grin behind his careless expression. It was comforting to know that she still reached for him when she felt uncomfortable around people.  
  
R: ''Nice to meet you.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Wish you had some of her manors Jess.''  
  
Sasha shot him another look and smiled an apologetic smile at Rory. Rory liked Sasha even though she didn't really know her..........yet.  
  
S: ''I'm Sasha and the one that resembles the IQ of a three-year-old is Jimmy.''  
  
Jimmy: ''So, are you his girlfriend ?''  
  
Sasha sighed as she mouthed hopeless to Rory and Jess. Rory shrugged, avoiding Jess' eyes.  
  
R: ''I'm not sure.''  
  
It was the truth. She wasn't sure if she was his girlfriend anymore.  
  
Sasha nodded in Jimmy's direction.  
  
S: ''The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It took me a year to figure out if it was okay for me to kiss him in public.''  
  
Rory softly laughed at Sasha's comment. By the looks of it they were both really nice people and Jess was lucky to have them.  
  
Jimmy: ''So, I'm guessing you're staying for dinner ?''  
  
Rory looked at Jess, not sure what to answer. Her eyes filled with insecureness.  
  
J: ''Well, I was kinda wondering if she could crash here for a little while ?''  
  
Sasha looks from Jess to Rory and nodded.  
  
S: ''You're welcome to stay as long as you want.''  
  
Jess let out a sigh of relief. He could always rely on Sasha to make things easy for him.  
  
J: ''Thanks Sasha.''  
  
Jimmy: ''You can just share Jess' bed.''  
  
Rory started to blush and wanted to back away, but Jess stopped her. Sasha hit Jimmy on the arm and gave him an annoyed look.  
  
S: ''Jess can take the couch and you can sleep on his mattress.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Which is on the ground.''  
  
R: ''I can't. I already told Jess that I couldn't, but he wouldn't listen.''  
  
Jimmy: ''I know someone who does that too.''  
  
Sasha shot him an angry look and Jimmy smiled sweetly at her.  
  
Jimmy: ''Love you too Sash.''  
  
Rory caught Jess rolling his eyes, but she knew that he didn't really mind. He just had to get used to all this family stuff.  
  
S: ''There's no way I'm letting you stay at an hotel, kay ?''  
  
Rory nodded.  
  
R: ''Thank you.''  
  
S: ''You're welcome. Now, I'm going to get some groceries. Lily ! Are you coming !?''  
  
Rory looked at Jess with a confused look on her face. Who was Lily ? Sasha saw it and answered her question.  
  
S: ''Lily's my daughter. Not Jimmy's.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Yeah, we're still working on that.''  
  
He winked at Sasha.  
  
J: ''Ah geez.''  
  
Rory smiled and leaned towards Jess to whisper something in his ear.  
  
R: ''They're nice.''  
  
For a minute they both forgot about what they had said and done and enjoyed being so close to each other again. Jess smirked slightly at the feel of her warm breath against his cheek. Rory was captivated by his neck and wanting nothing more than to place soft kisses on it, but of course she didn't.  
  
Suddenly a girl came running into the room. She was wearing glasses and had her hair into two pigtails that cheerfully bounced when she came jumping into the room. When she noticed Rory she stopped and looked at Sasha.  
  
L: ''Who's that ?''  
  
S: ''That's Rory.''  
  
Lily turned around to look at Rory.  
  
L: ''You're Rory ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah, I'm a friend of Jess.''  
  
She couldn't believe how easily those words slipped out of her mouth. She immediately regretted saying them when Jess let go of her hand.  
  
S: ''She's staying with us for a couple of days.''  
  
A huge grin appeared on Lily's face as she started to jump up and down.  
  
L: ''Do you wanna sleep in my room ?''  
  
Rory looked at Sasha, who nodded at her.  
  
R: ''Sure.''  
  
She smiled at the girl who smiled back at her.  
  
L: ''You wanna come to the store with us ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah, I would love that.''  
  
Lily reached out her hand and Rory took it.  
  
L: ''Do you read ?''  
  
Sasha rolled her eyes as the two girls got into a conversation about the books they had read.  
  
S: ''Let's go. We'll be back.''  
  
The three girls left, leaving Jess and Jimmy alone.  
  
Jimmy: ''So, Rory huh ? Is she your girlfriend ?''  
  
Jess shrugged.  
  
J: ''Don't know.''  
  
Jimmy: ''She seems nice.''  
  
J: ''She is.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Then what the hell is she doing with you ?''  
  
It was meant as a joke and Jess knew it, but still he couldn't laugh about it. What was she doing with him ? What was she doing here ? 


	3. Jess' impersonal poem of avoidance

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! One story down and like a zillion to go, right ? After this one I still have one story to finish and a couple more to put up, so nobody out there can say that I'm not devoted to writing. Anyway thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I did some research for this chapter on poetry, so please review and tell me what's going on in that mind of yours. Is it filled with GG ? ThAnKs!!! (Does anyone know the band B4-4 btw ? Cause I just got their new album and the song 'Process of Elimination' is my favorite.)  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
Rory dropped the pillows that Sasha gave her on Jess' mattress and looked around Lily's room. She had quite an impressive book collection for her age. During the conversation that she had with Lily earlier she could tell that she was really interested in books and to Rory's amazement she practically liked all the same authors as Jess did. Rory knew that if Jess gave Lily a chance they would get along fine, but of course she knew how stubborn Jess was and he would never admit in actually having anything in common with Lily or with Jimmy for that matter. Rory sat down on the mattress and smiled. They were definitely more alike than they would both ever admit. Suddenly Rory stopped her stream of thoughts and realized that she was sitting on Jess' mattress. Just knowing that he had slept on it gave her butterflies. His scent made her dizzy and before she could lose all control, she got up. She quickly grabbed the book that she was reading and left the room. She made her way over to the living room where she found Sasha and Jimmy cuddling on the couch. Rory held back a smile as she pictured Jess' reaction on this scene. Both Sasha and Jimmy looked up when she came into the room.  
  
R: ''Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you.''  
  
Sasha shot her a genuine smile, that could probably make the sun appear if it was raining.  
  
S: ''Don't be silly. We were just watching TV.''  
  
Jimmy: ''For now anyway.''  
  
Jimmy winked at Rory and softly laughed when she started to blush.  
  
S: ''Just ignore him. What's on your mind ?''  
  
R: ''I was wondering if you knew where Jess is ?''  
  
Jimmy: ''Can't help you there.''  
  
S: ''Jess isn't the most talkative person.''  
  
R: ''Yeah, I know.''  
  
S: ''Sorry.''  
  
R: ''That's okay. Is it alright if I go for a walk ?''  
  
S: ''Of course.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Finally somebody who tells us where she's going.''  
  
S: ''I recall you being the same way as Jess a couple of years ago.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Yeah, but I grew up.''  
  
Sasha rolled her eyes and Rory smiled.  
  
R: ''I'll be back in an hour.''  
  
S: ''Take your time. Is Lily in bed already ?''  
  
R: ''No, she's reading, in the closet ?''  
  
Jimmy: ''It's a habit, don't worry about it.''  
  
S: ''When she gets took big for the closet she'll have to find another place.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Like the basement for instance.''  
  
S: ''Have fun and if you see Jess try to bring him home with you.''  
  
R: ''I'll try. Night.''  
  
*~*~*  
  
Once Rory was outside, she knew just where she wanted to go. She headed over to the beach, wishing that she had brought her jacket with her, because the wind was cutting right through her. When she reached the beach, she was just about to sit down on one of the beach chairs when she spotted a familiar figure sitting on the sand near the water. She took a couple of steps towards the figure to make sure that it was him. When she saw that it was Jess, she started to walk over to him. She tried to be quiet, but she knew that he had already seen her. He always did.  
  
Jess watched her out of the corner of her eye, pretending not to notice her. He took a drag from his cigarette and returned his eyes to the ocean in front of him, trying to think about anything but her. He slowly blew out the smoke and watched it as it danced in front of his eyes for a while, before it finally vanished. Suddenly he could feel her presence behind him. This time he couldn't help but look up at her. Immediately his eyes were fascinated by the way her hair was blowing around her face and by the way her shirt was clinging to her body, showing some of her milky white stomach.  
  
R: ''Hey.''  
  
Jess tore his eyes away from her stomach and slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers, that seemed to sparkle like one of the brightest stars he had ever seen. Jess nodded and forced himself to shift his gaze from her back to the ocean. She sat down next to him, so close that he could feel the heat of her body burning against his skin, teasing him.  
  
R: ''I thought you quit.''  
  
Jess shrugged.  
  
J: ''Under some circumstances I smoke.''  
  
Rory nodded, lowering her eyes to the book that was in her hand. She knew that those circumstances had something to do with her. She heard Jess sigh and when she looked up at him again, she caught him throwing his cigarette away. He turned his head and met her eyes for a minute, giving her the satisfaction to gloat. And she did, she returned his annoyed gaze with a happy smile that only added to her beauty.  
  
R: ''Do you know that Lily reads in a closet ?''  
  
J: ''Yeah. That kid's wacked.''  
  
R: ''She isn't wacked, it's sweet. Maybe I should read in a closet from now on.''  
  
J: ''It's definitely another way of stepping out of the closet.''  
  
R: ''Lily's nice, smart too.''  
  
Jess didn't say anything, but silently agreed with Rory. Lily was intelligent and she had definitely read her share of books.  
  
J: ''What are you doing here ?''  
  
R: ''I was going to read.''  
  
J: ''What are you reading ?''  
  
Rory held up the book and Jess read the cover with a small smile on his face. 'Six American Poets. An Anthology.' Jess tapped the cover with his finger and looked up at Rory.  
  
J: ''One poet wasn't enough ?''  
  
R: ''I couldn't choose. Besides now I have six poets for the price of one.''  
  
J: ''I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that.''  
  
R: ''What ? I'm not really familiar with poetry.''  
  
J: ''Right. Since when do you even read poetry ?''  
  
Rory shrugged.  
  
R: ''I wanted to try something new.''  
  
She wasn't really lying. She had wanted to try something new and after she had spoken to Jess on the phone she wanted to try reading poetry, hoping that it would make her forget about Jess. But it didn't work, almost every poem reminded her of Jess. Especially since he liked reading poetry.  
  
J: ''Then you picked the perfect book.''  
  
R: ''I did ?''  
  
J: ''Yeah. I mean it's like you said, six of America's best poets for the price of one. Each having there own unique yet similar style.''  
  
R: ''How come it sounds better when you say it ?''  
  
J: ''Have you started the book yet ?''  
  
R: ''Actually I finished it.........twice.''  
  
J: ''Then why are you reading it again ? Having trouble understanding the poems ?''  
  
R: ''Some, but that's not why I'm reading it again.''  
  
J: ''Then what is ?''  
  
R: ''Cause I like the way the poets can put so much feeling and emotion into their poems.''  
  
J: ''And thought.''  
  
R: ''Right. It's almost like a novel.''  
  
J: ''I agree.''  
  
R: ''They're like little pieces of a novel. Little works of art.''  
  
J: ''Do you have a favorite poet yet ?''  
  
R: ''I like Langston Hughes' style a lot.''  
  
J: ''Why ?''  
  
R: ''Cause his poems are short, but yet so much happens in them.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, straight to the point poems with abrupt shifts in them.''  
  
R: ''Besides his poems always remind me of jazz.''  
  
J: ''Do you have a favorite ? Poem I mean ?''  
  
R: ''Well, yeah. It's really short though..........''  
  
J: ''That's Langston Hughes.''  
  
R: ''And this one is actually from the introduction pages.''  
  
J: ''Tell me anyway.''  
  
He watched Rory with a smile on his face as she opened the book and started to read. He followed every movement of her lips, wishing that he could just touch them and place a swift kiss on them, letting her know that he still cared for her.  
  
R: ''With his ebony hands on each ivory key. He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues! Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool. He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. Sweet Blues! Coming from a black man's soul. O Blues!.''  
  
Rory looked up from her book, straight into Jess' eyes. For a moment they couldn't tear their eyes away from each other and they brought their heads closer without noticing. But when Jess' face was only inches away from Rory's, he cleared his throat and leaned back. He saw the hurt and confusion in her eyes, but chose to ignore it.  
  
J: ''Why do you like it so much ?''  
  
Rory who was still a little uneasy, answered with a voice that was on the edge of breaking.  
  
R: ''Cause I can just picture the man sitting behind his piano, his hands flying across the keys, smiling as he does this.............. How about you, what's your favorite poet ?''  
  
Jess was glad that she didn't expect him to explain to her what just happened between them.  
  
J: ''Out of that book ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah.''  
  
J: ''Wallace Stevens.''  
  
R: ''Reason ?''  
  
J: ''Cause you have to read them more than once to understand the.''  
  
R: ''His are the ones I'm having trouble with. I don't get them.''  
  
Just like him. Rory had trouble getting him sometimes. Just like now. What was he thinking about right now ? What was going through his head when their lips were almost touching ? Was his heart beating as fast as hers right now ? Questions that she would probably never get any answers to.  
  
J: ''Ah, but you don't actually have to get them to know that whatever he's saying is done extremely well.''  
  
R: ''Guess so. William Carlos Williams is easy to get though. I like his style. Short I admit, but yet beautifully written. And his poems are.........personal........unlike Stevens who's poems are always impersonal.''  
  
Rory had the urge to laugh. She could have figured that Jess would prefer impersonal poems above personal ones.  
  
J: ''Yeah, but he always tries to compare the main object or person in his poem to other objects.''  
  
R: ''More objects, impersonal.''  
  
J: ''But you as reader make it personal and you have to admit that comparing for example the light of a star to bronze or fire does give you some sort of feeling.''  
  
R: ''Point made and taken.''  
  
J: ''What about Whitman ?''  
  
R: ''Cheerful. He always seems to brighten up bad situations.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, which isn't realistic, cause situations still remained sad and his poems didn't stop them from getting worse.''  
  
R: ''They gave people hope.''  
  
J: ''False hope.''  
  
R: ''Poetry is also a form of fiction, you know ?''  
  
J: ''All this time I thought it was based on historic facts and real events.''  
  
R: ''Some are.''  
  
J: ''True. What about Dickenson ?''  
  
R: ''A little too cynical for my taste.''  
  
J: ''Not my favorite either. Robert Frost ?''  
  
R: ''His poems always seem to resemble the lives of people I know.''  
  
J: ''So, conclusion ?''  
  
R: ''I'm sticking with Hughes.''  
  
J: ''Fair enough.''  
  
They were silent for a while, both looking at the water and wondering what the other was thinking. They could hear each other's breathing and even though Jess would never admit it he was touched that Rory came all the way to Venice to see him. The only question was, why did she come to see him ? Especially with what she said on the phone. Knowing that he would only get the answer to that question by asking, he took a deep breath and glanced at Rory.  
  
J: ''Rory, why did you come here ?''  
  
R: ''Closure, I guess..................Listen, Jess..........I'm sorry for that I said the last time I spoke to you. I wasn't............''  
  
J: ''You wanna go swimming tomorrow ?''  
  
R: ''What ?''  
  
His abrupt interruption took her by surprise.  
  
J: ''Swimming ?''  
  
R: ''I didn't bring a bathing suit.''  
  
She knew that he didn't want to talk about what had happened between them and she decided to drop it, for the moment anyway. Cause she wasn't leaving here without talking to him about it.  
  
J: ''Who said anything about a bathing suit ?''  
  
Jess smiled at her boyishly. Rory rolled her eyes, but couldn't look away quick enough to hide her slight blush that was clearly visible in the moonlight.  
  
J: ''I'm kidding. I'm sure you can barrow Sasha's. It might be a little wide at the hips, but other than that...............''  
  
Suddenly his voice faded, realizing what he just said. He locked eyes with her and Rory's blush just got worse. She didn't know that he actually knew how wide her hips were. It was comforting in a way.  
  
R: ''We better get back.''  
  
Jess nodded and helped her up. They were halfway back when Rory's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
R: ''Can Lily come too ?''  
  
J: ''Why ? Do you think we need a chaperone ?''  
  
They continued walking in silence, both with a smile on their face as they remembered the unforgettable memory that was practically engraved in their minds. 


	4. Surfing USA easy and free

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! Muchos gracias to the people who reviewed the last chapter. It weren't that many, but I'm still thankful for them. So, thanks! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I had trouble writing it, so please hit the review chapter when you reach the end. Thanks! And sparks will probably soon be flying! ;-)  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
The first thing that Rory saw when she opened her eyes the next morning was Lily's brown hair that was sticking out from underneath the covers. Rory smiled and yawned as she checked her watch. 9:13. Way too early. She lowered her arm and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. Instead she closed her eyes and listened to Lily's breathing. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face and pictured herself lying on the beach, with the sound of the ocean in the background. Lost in her thoughts, she patiently waited for Lily to wake up and face the day with her. Or better yet to face Jess with her. For some reason she felt more comfortable around Jess with someone else present. Maybe they did need a chaperone. Rory bit her lip to keep from laughing. But her urge to laugh faded when her mind wandered back to the clear memory of last night. It had been the perfect scene, a few stars in the sky, full moon, cool ocean breeze and the sound of the waves to keep them company. The perfect night for something to happen and it almost did, but for some reason Jess hesitated and pulled back. She had seen the hesitation in his dark eyes, but she had also seen the smiles on his face when he thought that no one was looking. Rory sighed and opened her eyes. She reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head. She was almost dressed when Lily opened her eyes and shot her a smile.  
  
Lily: ''Morning.''  
  
R: ''Morning.''  
  
Lily yawned and sat up straight while she rubbed her eyes.  
  
R: ''Did I wake you ?''  
  
Lily: ''No, it was just time to wake up.''  
  
Rory smiled and nodded as she watched the girl put on her glasses.  
  
Lily: ''Breakfast ?''  
  
R: ''Sure.''  
  
Lily: ''Let's go.''  
  
Lily practically jumped off of her bed and headed for the door. Rory quickly ran her hand through her hair and followed Lily into the living room. When they reached the living room, Jess was already up. His eyes were focused on the book in front of him and an empty plate stood on the small table in front of the couch. Old habits Rory thought as the ghost of a smile quickly touched her face. As they passed Jess, she tried to catch a glimpse of the title of the book that he was reading, but Jess saw it and caught her gaze with his.  
  
R: ''Hey.''  
  
Rory blushed and looked away, her heart resembling a race car by now.  
  
J: ''Morning.''  
  
Jess kept his eyes on her for a little while longer, watching a faint pink color her cheeks and went back to his book.  
  
Lily: ''Hey Jess.''  
  
J: ''Morning bookworm.''  
  
Lily: ''Look who's talking.''  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him and disappeared into the kitchen, Rory following her with a smile on her face. They found Sasha sitting at the table, reading the local newspaper while she took a bite of her cereal every now and then. She immediately looked up when the two girls entered the kitchen.  
  
S: ''Morning sunshines. Did you have a good night ?''  
  
Lily: ''Hey mom.''  
  
Lily quickly gave Sasha a kiss on her cheek before she started to pour some cereal in a bowl.  
  
R: ''Yes we did, right Lily ?''  
  
Lily: ''Yeah, we talked a lot. It was fun. Mom is it okay if we eat in the living room ?''  
  
S: ''Sure. What do you want Rory ?''  
  
R: ''Cereal's fine.''  
  
Lily grabbed another bowl and handed it to Rory together with the cereal box.  
  
R: ''Thanks.''  
  
Rory took it and started to pour cereal into the bowl while Lily started to pour orange juice into a glass.  
  
Lily: ''What do you want Rory ?''  
  
S: ''Anything goes.''  
  
Rory looked around the kitchen and spotted the almost full coffeepot that was standing on the other end of the counter.  
  
R: ''Can I have some coffee ?''  
  
S: ''Sure doll. I'll get it for you.''  
  
Moments later Rory and Lily headed into the living room, both loaded with cereal and drinks. Jess was still reading and didn't look up when they came in. Lily dropped herself on the floor in front of the TV and Rory sat down cross-legged on an armchair.  
  
Lily: ''Jess, is it okay if we watch TV ?''  
  
Rory hid a smile when Lily asked that question. It was a small yet touching gesture.  
  
J: ''Go ahead.''  
  
Lily grabbed the remote and immediately changed the channel from the news to cartoons. For a while nobody said anything. Rory and Lily were busy eating their cereal and Jess was engrossed in his book, or so it seemed. In reality he was having trouble concentrating and glancing at Rory from over the edge of his book. He watched her with half a smile as she drank her coffee. Suddenly the phone rang and Lily jumped up to pick it up.  
  
Lily: ''Hello ?............Hey daddy......................yes..............I don't read too much...........okay, bye.''  
  
Lily hung up and turned around so she was facing the kitchen.  
  
Lily: ''Mom ! Daddy said that he would be home early and that he would bring pizza !''  
  
After that she swirled around again, making her hair dance around her face, to look at Rory again.  
  
Lily: ''Do you like pizza ?''  
  
R: ''Almost as much as I like coffee. How about you ?''  
  
Lily: ''Almost as much as I like books.''  
  
Sasha, who had entered the room, shook her head.  
  
S: ''What am I going to do with you ?''  
  
Lily: ''Hey, Jess reads a lot too.''  
  
J: ''But I'm not actually reading, I'm just staring at the pages.''  
  
Lily laughed.  
  
Lily: ''No you're not.''  
  
S: ''I was kidding Lil. Listen, I have to go get some paint.''  
  
Suddenly Jess looked up from his book.  
  
J: ''Is it okay if we go swimming ?''  
  
S: ''Sure. Did you bring a bathing suit ?''  
  
Rory shook her head.  
  
S: ''Well, you can barrow one from me. I have a whole closet full of them.''  
  
Sasha smiled at Rory's surprised expression.  
  
S: ''This is Venice Beach after all.''  
  
R: ''Thanks.''  
  
S: ''Any time. Have fun.''  
  
Sasha smiled and left.  
  
Lily: ''Can I come too ?''  
  
Rory met Jess' gaze for a second and caught a glimpse of the smirk that was starting to form on his face.  
  
R: ''Of course.''  
  
Lily smiled and grabbed Rory's hand.  
  
Lily: ''Come on. Let's pick out a bathing suit.''  
  
*~*~*  
  
At the beach, Jess pulled off his shirt and lay down on his beach towel with a book. Rory tried not to look at Jess, but couldn't help to glance at him every now and then. He was wearing black swimming trunks and she had never seen him without his shirt before. She quickly moved her eyes over his slightly tanned chest, down to the muscles of his stomach. When she reached his swimming trunks, she blushed and looked away. She started to undress, trying not to think of how good Jess looked.  
  
Jess didn't pay any attention as the girls undressed, he was too caught up in his book, but when they started to put on sunscreen, he couldn't help but throw a quick glance in Rory's direction. As soon as he saw what Rory was wearing, he let his gaze linger on her. She wasn't aware, cause she was sitting on the towel with her back facing Jess. She was wearing a light blue bikini to his surprise. He didn't think of her as the type of girl to wear a bikini. When she stood up he saw how low the bikini was hanging on her hips, because it was a little wide, but the top on the other end fitted her figure perfectly. Suddenly Rory turned around, but by then Jess had already returned his eyes to his book.  
  
R: ''Jess, are you coming ?''  
  
Jess shook his head, missing the disappointed look that passed over Rory's face.  
  
Lily: ''You're loss. Come on Rory.''  
  
After a while the two girls came back, wet from their with sand covered feet till their brown locks. Jess on the other hand was as dry as the Sahara desert and he still had his eyes glued to the pages in front of him.  
  
J: ''How was the water ?''  
  
R: ''Wet.''  
  
Jess smirked at her sarcasm and continued to read with a smirk on his face.  
  
R: ''Are you joining us this time ?''  
  
J: ''Nope, I'm allergic to water.''  
  
Lily: ''Then how come you can take showers, but you can't go swimming with us ?''  
  
J: ''It's the salt.''  
  
Lily: ''You're no fun.''  
  
R: ''Yeah Jess, you're no fun.''  
  
At this comment Jess looked up at Rory and met her eyes, that were gleaming devilishly.  
  
J: ''Thanks for your opinion.''  
  
He went back to his books, not seeing the looks that Rory and Lily were exchanging. Suddenly Rory and Lily both took a hold of his legs and started to drag him away from his towel. Jess was able to pull himself free and get up before the two girls could grab him again. Before Rory could do anything, he grabbed her by her waist and threw her over his shoulder. Lily just laughed and followed Jess to the ocean where he threw Rory in the water. When she came up again, both Jess and Lily were laughing.  
  
R: ''Where were you ?''  
  
Lily: ''At least he's in the water.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, are you happy now ?''  
  
Rory smiled and nodded. The three of them stayed in the water for a while. When Jess had enough, he went back to his book and Lily convinced Rory to take surfing lessons.  
  
While Rory was trying to stand on a surfboard, Jess was watching her from the beach. He could hear her free and easy laughter spread across the beach and he was amazed by how much she was enjoying it, even though she kept falling in the water. When the sun was getting too hot, Lily and Rory joined Jess underneath the sunshade. Both Lily and Rory brought a book with them, but Lily was too tired and almost immediately fell asleep. Rory glanced at Lily one more time before she opened her book, ready to get lost in another world.  
  
J: ''So, you're pulling a surfing USA on me huh ?''  
  
Rory pretended to be annoyed, but couldn't keep up the act, because of the smile that appeared on her face.  
  
J: ''Surf's up !''  
  
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) 


	5. Distracted

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! I know, I'm a bad updater, but fanfic was down so what could I do ? Anyway here's the next chapter, filled with those sparks I've been promising you guys! ;-) So, thanks again for the wonderful reviews! Seriously, I mean WOW!!! :-) Hope you do the same with this chapter. Thanks!  
  
(And I know Lily calls Jimmy dad, even though Jimmy and Sasha aren't married. But in this story, Lily sees Jimmy as her father.)  
  
*Shout out: Hey Stef! WELCOME BACK!!! (Yeah, I know I'm a little late) :-)  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
Jess Mariano was still holding his thick volume of fiction in his hands and to people watching him from a distance he seemed to be reading, but you shouldn't always believe what you see. Cause if you would take a closer look, you would see that his titian colored eyes weren't looking at the page in front of him, but that they were preoccupied with the sleeping girl next to him. Rory had fallen asleep earlier, her arms were lying crossed on her book and her head was resting on her arms. Jess' gaze was resting on her face, fascinated by her unblemished skin and her brown locks that the wind was playing with. Jess smiled, a delighted look taking over his face as he shifted his gaze back to his book. He caught a glimpse of the time and decided that they should be heading back. He closed his book and looked at Rory. It was time to wake Sleeping Beauty up from her fairy-tale.  
  
J: ''Rory. Wake up.''  
  
Rory moaned, but didn't open her eyes. Jess brought his fingers to her cheek and gracefully stroked it, bringing his head closer to her ear.  
  
J: ''Rory.''  
  
Suddenly she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her beryl eyes enchanted by his dark ones.  
  
R: ''Jess ?''  
  
Jess stopped stroking her cheek and watched her as she turned around to lie on her back.  
  
J: ''It's getting late.''  
  
Rory, who was all of a sudden fully awake, realized how close she was to Jess. She looked at him, her eyes immediately captivated by his face and raven colored hair. Jess noticed and moments later he had an all-knowing smirk on his face. Rory lowered her eyes to his lips, fascinated by the way his lips curved. She reached out her hand and started to trace the curve of his lips with her index finger. Slowly, running her finger over his lips, her heart started to beat faster. Giving her a rush that you could compare to the rush that you would get in a rollercoaster.  
  
Jess followed her every movement with his eyes, subconsciously bringing his head closer to hers until their faces were only a couple of inches apart. He could hear her breathing, that was fragmentary now and he could feel her warm breath against his skin. Rory lowered her hand and gave Jess the opportunity to close the distance between them and lightly graze his lips against hers. Rory brought her eyes up to meet his eyes that were gleaming. They were asking her for permission to do what he had wanted to do ever since he had seen her again.  
  
Rory slowly brought her hand up and placed it in the back of his neck, gently bringing him closer. Their lips touched and they shared a kiss that was slow and passionate yet hungry. Jess got on top of her and grasped her hip with one hand. The other he lay flat on her stomach as they deepened the kiss. One of Rory's hands was entangled in his hair while the other was teasing the skin at the lower half of his abdomen. Finally their lips parted and they got a chance to catch their breath. Jess looked at her and smiled.  
  
J: ''You're beautiful.''  
  
Rory blushed and shyly met his eyes. Jess leaned in to kiss her again, but Rory stopped him. She remembered that they weren't alone on the beach and that Lily was lying on the towel next to them, still sleeping thank God.  
  
R: ''Jess, Lily.''  
  
J: ''Right, Lily.''  
  
R: ''And we still need to talk.''  
  
Jess sighed and got off of her. Rory sat up straight and started to wake Lily up, avoiding Jess' disappointed gaze.  
  
*~*~*  
  
When they got back at Jimmy and Sasha' home, they found Sasha outside, wearing a pair of paint covered overalls. Lily immediately asked if she could help and moments later she was also holding a paintbrush. Jess and Rory on the other hand, just greeted her and disappeared inside. Rory who was still a little confused by what happened on the beach, decided to take a shower. The shower had always been her favorite place to think. The streaming water always seemed to be able to wash her worries away, but today was an exception. They didn't wash away and she knew that there was only one way to deal with all of them. She had to talk to Jess. She had to talk to him about everything that had happened between them. Only then would she be able to get the closure that she wanted so badly. After that she would make the decision if she should let him go or not. But in her heart she had already made the decision. Rory smiled as she enjoyed the rest of her shower, thinking of the kiss they shared on the beach.  
  
After her shower, she put on the most comfortable clothes that she brought with her and started to brush her hair that was still wet from the shower. She was still doing this when Lily came into the room, wearing a happy smile on her face.  
  
Lily: ''Daddy's home, with pizza.''  
  
Rory smiled and got up. Lily placed her small hand in Rory's and almost pulled Rory out of the room.  
  
When Rory came into the room, Jess looked up at her from his spot on the armchair. Once again she took his breath away. She looked extraordinary in a pair of faded jeans and a brickred baby t-shirt. Her hair was wet, probably from the shower. Jess' mind went back to the beach, but that only lasted a second or two. Cause before he knew what he was doing, he was wondering what Rory would look like in the shower. Soon, a faint blush was covering his face and he had a sly smirk on his face. He looked at her as she sat down on the floor with her pizza. Before his thoughts could get too personal and revealing, he stopped and got up to get pizza.  
  
Jimmy: ''So, Sash told me that you three went to the beach. How was it ?''  
  
Jess shrugged and took a bite of his pizza.  
  
J: ''Okay.''  
  
Lily: ''It was more than okay.''  
  
Lily shot Jess a look before she continued.  
  
Lily: ''We had a lot of fun. Right Rory ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah, we did.''  
  
She met Jess' gaze briefly before she smiled at Lily.  
  
Lily: ''Rory took surfing lessons.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Now all you've gotta do is dye your hair blond and you'll fit in here perfectly.''  
  
Jimmy laughed at his own joke and pointed at Sasha.  
  
Jimmy: ''That's what she did.''  
  
Sasha playfully hit him on his arm, which caused Jimmy to stop laughing, but an amused smile remained on his face.  
  
S: ''Ignore him. That's what we all do, right Lil ?''  
  
Lily: ''No we don't.''  
  
J: ''Well I do.''  
  
Lily stuck out her tongue and Rory realized that Jess was in a normal family for the first time in his life.  
  
S: ''Anyway...................''  
  
She looked from Jess to Jimmy to Lily, trying to be annoyed, but everyone in the room knew that she wasn't.  
  
S: ''Were you any good ?''  
  
Rory shook her head.  
  
R: ''No.''  
  
Lily: ''She kept falling off.''  
  
Jimmy: ''It takes a lot of practice.''  
  
Jess raised his eyebrows and looked at Jimmy.  
  
J: ''You surf ?''  
  
Jimmy shrugged like it was no big deal.  
  
Jimmy: ''This is Venice Beach.''  
  
J: ''You're a surfer.''  
  
Jimmy: ''I'm not.''  
  
J: ''Did you have blond hair too when you first got here ?''  
  
Jimmy: ''Just because I know how to surf doesn't mean that I'm a surfer.''  
  
J: ''You're one of those guys who keeps yelling cowabunga.''  
  
S: ''And dude.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Why are you helping him ?''  
  
Rory shook her head and smiled as the two kept on teasing each other. Anyone could see that they really cared a lot for each other.  
  
Halfway through dinner, Rory got up and went into the kitchen to get a drink. Since Sasha also drank coffee, there was still some coffee left in the coffeepot. Rory didn't think twice and poured it into one of the colorful coffee cups. Each of them was decorated with bright colors and funny slogans or pictures. Hers was covered with the names of fairy-tales. She looked at the cup and smiled. Everything in this house was so cheerful and colorful.  
  
J: ''I'm guessing you found it.''  
  
Rory's body jerked in surprise and if she hadn't been holding the cup with two hands it would have fallen to the ground. She turned around and found Jess standing in the door frame with his hands in his pockets, looking as intimidating as he always did.  
  
R: ''Yeah, I found it.''  
  
Rory quickly took a sip of her coffee, looking at everything except at Jess. Jess on the other hand kept his gaze on her.  
  
J: ''Good.''  
  
R: ''It is.''  
  
Jess relaxed a little and couldn't help but smile at her lame joke. Rory saw and smiled back at him, causing his smile to turn into a grin. Rory took in his appearance and quickly finished her coffee. If she would give herself a couple of more seconds, she would find her urge to kiss him turn into desire and when that happened she knew that she wouldn't be able to control herself. Just took what happened at the beach for instance. Wasn't she the one who forced him to kiss her ? Well, not forced exactly, cause Jess was more than willing to kiss her. Rory found herself smiling as she was thinking this. She put the cup in the sink and headed for the door frame, expecting Jess to move, but he didn't. Finally he took a step too the side and turned sideways, so he was standing with his back against the door frame. When Rory past him, her arm gently brushed against his stomach. She locked eyes with him before she went back into the living room. Jess ran his hand through his hair and sighed before he followed her.  
  
*~*~*  
  
About an hour later, everyone had finished their pizza and were watching a movie. Well, almost everyone. Lily had only made it through the first half of the movie, after that she had fallen asleep with her head on Rory's lap. Rory wasn't really paying attention either. She kept throwing glances at Jess and Jess was doing the same. Jimmy and Sasha saw the frequent glances they were throwing at each other, but didn't say anything. They pretended not to notice. It wasn't any of their business after all. When the movie was over, Rory realized how tired she was. She could barely keep her eyes open. Jimmy got up and woke Lily up. He lifted her up and headed towards her bedroom.  
  
R: ''I'm going to bed too.''  
  
S: ''See you in the morning then.''  
  
R: ''Good night. Night Jess.''  
  
Jess just nodded and watched her head into Lily's room. Jimmy was just giving Lily a good night kiss when Rory came into the room. He smiled at Rory.  
  
R: ''Thanks again for letting me stay here.''  
  
Jimmy winked at her.  
  
Jimmy: ''You're welcome. Sweet dreams.''  
  
R: ''Night.''  
  
After Jimmy left the room, she changed into her PJ bottoms and crawled under the covers. She was just about to close her eyes, when she heard Lily's voice.  
  
Lily: ''Rory ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah ?''  
  
She turned around to look at Lily, who was lying on her stomach looking at her.  
  
Lily: ''Are you Jess' girlfriend ?''  
  
R: ''I don't know.''  
  
Lily: ''How come ?''  
  
R: ''Cause we haven't really talked yet.''  
  
Lily: ''Oh.''  
  
Rory was amazed by how she said that. It almost sounded like she understood the whole situation when really she didn't even know what the situation was.  
  
R: ''Night Lily.''  
  
Lily: ''Night Rory.''  
  
Rory was glad that Lily wasn't the kind of person that kept asking questions. As Rory closed her eyes, she made a quick mental note to talk to Jess tomorrow. She would make him listen if she had to.  
  
R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) 


	6. A forgotten fairytale with a memorable e...

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! Here's the usual daily update, only there's nothing usual about this chapter! It may seem normal at the beginning, but get ready for a bumpy ride, cause there will be an unexpected turn in this road! ;-) You'll get it once you've read the chapter. And THANKS for all the reviews!  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
The next morning, Rory walked in to the lively living room. Lily was on the phone, chatting enthusiastically, Jimmy was watching TV while he was playfully arguing with Sasha and to Rory's surprise, Jess was making faces at Lily. Rory held back her urge to laugh, but couldn't help to smile. She had never seen Jess like this before.  
  
R: ''Morning everyone.''  
  
Lily waved, Jimmy nodded and Jess briefly met her cheerful eyes before he went back to annoying Lily.  
  
S: ''Hey Rory. Sorry if we woke you.''  
  
Jimmy: ''If we did it's her fault.''  
  
Rory softly laughed at the childish behavior of Sasha and Jimmy.  
  
R: ''You didn't.  
  
Lily hung up the phone, stuck her tongue out at Jess and turned around to face Sasha and Jimmy.  
  
Lily: ''Is is okay is I sleep over at Priscilla's tonight ?''  
  
S: ''Of course, right Jimmy ?''  
  
Jimmy: ''Now I can say something ?''  
  
Sasha rolled her eyes and smiled at Lily.  
  
S: ''It's fine with us.''  
  
Almost immediately Lily started to bounce up and down, smiling as she did this. Rory smiled too and followed Lily with her eyes as she danced and jumped around the room.  
  
Jess shook his head and looked around the room. They were great people, but a little too hyper for his taste. But then again Rory was like that too, so maybe he just attracted hyper people. No, Rory wasn't hyper, she was lively. He rested his gaze on her. As if she felt the weight of it, she turned her head and looked at him. Right there and then Jess had a spontaneous idea, his first. He got up and raised his voice a little, so he could be heard over Sasha and Jimmy's bantering.  
  
J: ''You wanna go to the bookstore ?''  
  
Jess could see the surprise glimmer in her angelic eyes. Disbelief was written on her face and for half a second, he felt hurt. He never wanted to be the type of guy who lost interest in his girlfriend after a while. He wanted to be the guy who could be spontaneous and surprise his girlfriend every now and then with little things, that were sweet and thoughtful. But the hurt faded when he saw her radiating smile. Guess this was the first step of being that guy. He couldn't make any promises and he knew that he wouldn't change completely, but a little change never hurt anyone. He returned her smile with an artful one of his own. Soon the hurt was completely gone and forgotten, nothing but a distant memory.  
  
R: ''Sure, just let me get some coffee.''  
  
J: ''Or we could get some coffee on our way to the bookstore ?''  
  
Rory was amazed of how caring he was this morning. Which was only making things harder for her.  
  
J: ''I know this coffee place.''  
  
R: ''You know a coffee place ?''  
  
Jess shrugged.  
  
J: ''Yeah.''  
  
R: ''But you don't drink coffee.''  
  
Jess knew that she was right, but when he first arrived here, he went to look for a coffee place anyway. Promising himself that he would take her there one day and to his own surprise that day had come a lot sooner then he had expected. Life was full of pleasant surprises.  
  
J: ''They don't only sell coffee.''  
  
R: ''Then why do they call it a coffee place ? I mean it would be logical that they would only sell coffee, because of the coffee in the name. They shouldn't name it a coffee place when they sell other things too. They're only confusing people.''  
  
Jess shook his head, his smile still in place.  
  
J: ''Are you coming, or not ?''  
  
R: ''Of course I'm coming.''  
  
Jess nodded and turned around, knowing that Rory would follow him. When they were almost at the door, Sasha stopped them.  
  
S: ''We'll be home late tonight. One of our friends is throwing a birthday party and Lily's sleeping over at Priscilla's, so you two will have the house to yourselves.''  
  
She looked from Rory to Jess, wondering what was going through their heads. The truth was that her words hadn't really affected them.  
  
S: ''Since no one in this house can really cook, I left some money next to the phone, so you guys don't starve. Got it ?''  
  
J: ''Yeah, thanks Sasha.''  
  
S: ''Okay, now go, have fun. And don't read too much, okay ?''  
  
Sasha winked at the two teens. Both Jess and Rory smiled at her comment.  
  
R: ''We won't.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, we'll come up for air every now and then.''  
  
R: ''Bye Sasha.''  
  
*~*~*  
  
As they walked over to the coffee place, Rory enjoyed the beauty that filled this day. Meanwhile Jess was doing the same, only his definition of beauty was a lot different from Rory's. His definition of beauty was walking right beside him, looking even more radiant with the sun shining down on her, playing with her complexion as they walked.  
  
Rory wasn't aware of Jess' steady and intense gaze, she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. She didn't even notice that they arrived at the coffee place until Jess grabbed her hand.  
  
J: ''Have you ever considered becoming a mime ?''  
  
Rory pushed her train of thoughts off the rails and looked up at Jess' concealed gaze. Suddenly she was fully aware that he was holding her hand in his. And even though it was only making things harder, she let him. Jess pushed open the door and pulled her into the coffee place. Right before Jess pulled her inside, she caught a glimpse of the sign that hung above the door. It read, 'Pour 'em', 'Come in and get a heavenly cup of coffee.'  
  
Once inside, she saw how small the place really was. It was even smaller than Luke's, but it certainly was more impressive than Luke's. The walls were painted in a light blue color, except for the wall behind the counter. On that wall, the boardwalk was painted, the name of every store clearly visible. Rory smiled as she let Jess lead her over to the counter. The diner was decorated with large surfboards and colorful masks. Four tables were scattered around the diner, making it look friendly and inviting. Suddenly Jess handed her a cup of coffee.  
  
J: ''Your coffee is served.''  
  
Rory smiled and thankfully took it.  
  
R: ''I like this place.''  
  
J: ''I knew you would.''  
  
They locked eyes for a small second, until Jess broke their meeting gazes and stuffed his hands in his pockets.  
  
J: ''So, you wanna drink it here or...........?''  
  
R: ''No that's okay. I'll just drink it on the way.''  
  
Jess nodded and started to make his way to the door, Rory following him, smiling as she noticed how Jess' pants hung low on the hips, because he had his hands in his pockets. Another memory to add to her collection.  
  
*~*~*  
  
When they reached the bookstore, Rory immediately noticed the name. 'Once upon a time.' And once she entered the store, she realized that the name fitted this store. Book were stacked everywhere, literally every corner of the store was filled with books. All stacked, except for a row of books in the back. Which were all fairy-tales. Rory had never seen so many fairy- tales before. The only empty corner was covered with big pillows in every color you could possibly think of. The walls were decorated with paintings of castles, princesses locked up in towers and knights slaying dragons. Rory was completely in awe when she entered the store.  
  
Jess saw that by the look on her face, they would be here for a while. So, he took a book off one of the stacks ands installed himself on one of the pillows. They were a lot more comfortable than most chairs. Every now and then he would glance at Rory, only to find that she was looking through the rows of fairy-tales. He never thought of her as someone who read fairy- tales, but then again he wasn't surprised, cause she had said once that everything was possible with a little magic. When Rory finally sat down on one of the pillows, she had an old-looking book on her lap. 'Forgotten Fairy-Tales' was elegantly written on the cover.  
  
After another '........and they lived happily ever after.', Rory closed the book. She had never heard of these fairy-tales before. Either they weren't that important or they were really forgotten. Speaking of forgotten............. Rory checked her watch. She got up and went to put the book back.  
  
R: ''Jess, I'll be right back, okay ?''  
  
Jess nodded and watched her as she left the store and crossed the street, dusk already fallen.  
  
Once Rory reached the pay-phone, she put some change in and dialed a number without thinking. She patiently waited for someone to pick up, but no one did. Finally she got the answering machine.  
  
L: ''You've reached the residence of the two model-look-a-likes, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Unfortunately we're not home right now, which is obvious, cause otherwise you wouldn't be listening to this. Hmmmmmm what else ? O yeah, leave a message and if we like it, we'll call you back. Kind of like an audition. So, make it good. Cause us calling you make depends on that. Unless you're one of our beloved friends or family........wait, scrap family. Anyway you've reached the end of my rambling. When you hear the beep, you can start talking.''  
  
Rory was a little disappointed that her mom wasn't there, but she didn't let that show through her voice.  
  
R: ''Hey mom, it's me. Apparently your model-look-a-like-daughter. Next time I do the message.........Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing fine. Jess' dad and his girlfriend are really nice, their daughter, Lily, too and they seem like a very nice family. O and I took surfing lessons. I wasn't that good, but I had fun. Anyway Jess is waiting for me, so I should probably go. I'll be home soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. And don't worry I'm staying at Jimmy's. Yes, me and Jess have separate rooms. I've gotta go. So you're free to do your happy dance now. Love you, bye.''  
  
Rory hung up and headed back to the bookstore, thinking of a way to tell Jess that she was leaving soon. When she reached the bookstore, Jess wasn't there. Rory wondered if he went home already, but realized that Jess wouldn't just leave her here. Soon, she found herself heading towards the beach, almost sure that Jess would be there. Sure enough he was. He was standing, looking at the waves as they retreated as soon as they reached the shore. Rory walked over to him, not saying anything for a while. Finally she knew that there wasn't going to be a more perfect time to say what has been on her mind for a while now.  
  
R: ''Jess, I wanna talk.''  
  
Jess turned around, pretending not to hear her. Rory had the urge to yell at him, to tell him that he was the one running away this time, but she didn't. Her actions surprised both Jess and her. She took a hold of his hand and forced him to turn around.  
  
Jess didn't fight, he knew that they had to talk sooner or later. Apparently a lot sooner than he had expected. But then again what did he expect ? That's what she came here for after all, to talk. So, he slowly brought his gaze up to meet hers, waiting for her to say something. Moonlight was dancing down on them and the starts seemed to shine even brighter than before, ready to witness their conversation.  
  
R: ''I'm sorry.''  
  
J: ''For what ?''  
  
R: ''For not understanding why you left.''  
  
J: ''Rory.........''  
  
But Rory didn't stop, she had to tell Jess that she was sorry. Sorry for everything.  
  
R: ''I was mad at you when I shouldn't have. I know that I've said a lot of things and I take them all back, cause now I understand why you went to Venice Beach. And........I'm sorry............for pushing you to tell me things. I'm sorry.''  
  
Maybe if she didn't push him so hard to tell her things, things would have turned out different.  
  
J: ''Rory, you didn't push me.''  
  
R: ''Yes I did. I knew you weren't the kind of guy to tell me everything and still I pushed.''  
  
J: ''Rory, you didn't.''  
  
He squeezed her hand and looked deep into her eyes, trying to convince her that it hadn't been her fault. Nothing had been her fault. And neither had it been his fault. For once he believed that it had something to do with destiny. After what seemed like ages, Rory nodded.  
  
R: ''Okay.''  
  
J: ''We better get back.''  
  
Again Rory nodded and let go of his hand. She still had something to say, but for some reason she couldn't remember the words. As if they were forgotten.  
  
*~*~*  
  
They got home to an empty house. But Rory was sure that if she would close her eyes, she would hear the playful banter between Jimmy and Sasha and Lily's voice, going on about books she had read. She was going to miss this place. The worst part was that she already knew that she could never come back here. No matter how much she wanted to. Suddenly Jess interrupted her sad thoughts.  
  
J: ''I'm going to order some takeout.''  
  
Rory nodded and went into Lily's room. She must have been in there longer than she noticed, cause when she turned around, Jess was standing in the doorframe, looking at her.  
  
J: ''I ordered the food.''  
  
Rory didn't say anything, but just stared at him.  
  
J: ''Are you alright ?''  
  
Rory still didn't answer. She was too busy struggling with her own words. Trying to find a way to tell him.  
  
Jess moved closer to Rory, until he was standing right in front of her.  
  
J: ''Rory.''  
  
He gently lifted her chin up, so that she was looking at him. Rory looked into his eyes, memorizing every line of his face. Jess brought his fingers up to her cheek and softly started to caress it. He was waiting for Rory to tell him to stop, but she didn't. She just looked at him. Jess took that as a sign and brought his lips closer to hers. He met her gaze one last time before he closed the remaining space between them.  
  
Rory felt his lips on hers and knew that she should stop, but she didn't. She wanted one last taste. One last glimpse of what she could have had. As Jess deepened the kiss, she brought her hands up to his hair, entangling them in it. Taking in the black color, like it was the most amazing shade she had ever seen. Jess lead her over to his mattress and gently pushed her down, placing himself on top of her.  
  
Once Rory realized that she was lying on his mattress with him on top of her, she found the courage to push him away and breaking their last kiss.  
  
J: ''What's wrong ?''  
  
Rory lowered her eyes, afraid to look at him.  
  
R: ''I think we should break up.''  
  
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) (Did you expect this to happen ?) And check out chapter 5 of 'You're being watched' if you haven't yet. Things finally start to get fReaky! ;-) 


	7. No strings attached

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! I know I kind of left you guys hanging in the last chapter, with the last sentence and all, but at least you guys didn't have to wait too long. This chapter might not be exactly what you were expecting, but then again it's my creation, so I get to choose how it ends. Mean huh ? This is not the ending however. There will be one more chapter. And I've got some NEWS! But I'll tell you all about it in the next chapter. Thanks again for the reviews! They inspire me to write cliffhangers and unexpecting chapters! :-) Please review this chapter and tell me what ya think.  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
For a minute neither one of them said anything. Rory listened to Jess' steady breathing, wondering if she did the right thing. Did she choose the right time and place ? No, but then again what was the right time and place ? She had wanted to tell him on the beach, but for some unknown reason her lips had trouble forming the words. So, she figured that now would be the perfect time to tell him, since they were alone and he was on top of her.........? What was she thinking ?! Could she be more heartless ? She was startled when Jess finally broke the killing silence between them.  
  
J: ''What ?''  
  
Rory ignored the knot in her stomach, that was getting tighter by the minute, making it harder for her to breath, and slowly forced herself to meet his gaze.  
  
R: ''I think.........we should break up.''  
  
J: ''Why ?''  
  
Jess' voice was soft and his eyes remained unreadable, but Rory knew that underneath the surface flames were brewing, burning his skin. And soon the smoke would find it's way out.  
  
R: ''We're too different.''  
  
J: ''Different ?''  
  
Rory was aware that he was still on top of her and he was getting heavier by the minute.  
  
R: ''Yeah, besides I'm going to college.''  
  
J: ''That's what this is about ? I'm not good enough for you ?!''  
  
Rory cringed as he raised his voice. He had raised his voice before, but this time it was different. This time she knew that it was her fault and that he had every right to be mad at her.  
  
R: ''Of course you're good enough for me. I just don't want you to feel tied up with me. I want you to date other girls.''  
  
J: ''I don't wanna date other girls.''  
  
Rory say the pleading look in his eyes. Jess, the independent rebel with his I-don't-give-a-damn-attitude finally seemed to have found his cause. And now he was on the verge of losing it. Rory fought her urge to cry and looked into Jess' eyes again, trying to ignore the pain that was clearly visible in his atramentous eyes.  
  
R: ''Jess, long distance relationships almost never work.''  
  
J: ''Almost never. Let us be the exception.''  
  
He looked into her eyes, trying to find a reason why she would be doing this. Suddenly he figured that he should probably try to find a reason why she wouldn't be doing this. All the times he snapped at her, forgot to call her, didn't wanna hang out with her friends. And the fact that he didn't tell her about his dad. But she said she understood. And he knew that she hadn't been lying to him, she never did. Then why..........  
  
J: ''You wanna break up, so you can date other people in college ?''  
  
R: ''What ? Jess.............no. I.........I just.............''  
  
J: ''You just what ?!''  
  
Rory didn't say anything, but just looked at him. Why didn't he understand ? She couldn't do this anymore. She was sick of trying to figure him out. Now he was hot and then he was cold. She didn't wanna read his mind anymore and ask a zillion questions before he finally told her something. She loved him, but it was time to let him go. They both had their own lives now. He had a family, one that genuinely seemed to care for him.  
  
R: ''Get off me.......please.''  
  
He was almost crushing her and she didn't like being so close to him when he was mad. She tried to push him away, but he didn't move, not an inch. Instead he looked at her, his eyes narrowed and darker than usual.  
  
J: ''Do you like playing games Rory ?''  
  
R: ''What ?''  
  
J: ''Do you like playing games ?''  
  
R: ''I.....I don't understand.''  
  
J: ''Drop the whole innocent act. First you're practically all over me and now you want me to get off of you ?''  
  
R: ''I didn't mean..........I...............''  
  
J: ''Having trouble finding the right words ?''  
  
Suddenly Rory got mad. He made it sound as if she meant to hurt him.  
  
R: ''I hate you when you're like this. You won't even listen to me. You just get mad and assume that I wanted to hurt you. I didn't ! Okay Jess ? I didn't and I'm sorry. Now, get off me.''  
  
Jess locked eyes with her, openly affected by her words. He nodded and got off of her. He got up and ran his hands through his hair. Rory sat up straight, relieved that she could move again. She knew that Jess would never hurt her, but she felt safer now that he wasn't on top of her anymore. Finally he stopped and looked at her.  
  
J: ''Why ?''  
  
His voice sounded calm now, like he actually wanted to listen to her without yelling. Rory took a deep breath and lowered her eyes.  
  
R: ''Cause your life is here now. You're dad's here and they seem to care about you.''  
  
J: ''They're okay, but my life isn't here. Not only anyway. Luke, he's in Stars Hollow and since he's my uncle, I'm pretty sure he's a part of my life.''  
  
Rory knew that he was trying to find something that he could hold on to.  
  
R: ''You never liked Stars Hollow Jess. You said so yourself.''  
  
J: ''Maybe I lied.''  
  
R: ''Maybe, but I know you and.............you're staying here. For a while at least.''  
  
J: ''That's the only reason you have for breaking up with me ?''  
  
R: ''No.''  
  
J: ''Then what are the other ones ?''  
  
He kneeled in front of Rory and caught her gaze with his. Rory sighed and wiped her hair away from her face, so he could look into her eyes. This way he could see for himself if she was sincere or not.  
  
R: ''I don't want to fight with you anymore. And I don't want to push you anymore to tell me things. I know you said that I didn't push you, but I did. Trust me, I got that quality from my mom.''  
  
J: ''So, if we're not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore............then what are we ?''  
  
R: ''Friends. We were friends before and we'll be friends after. Right ?''  
  
Jess sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair again. It made Rory smile, cause he always did that when he was nervous or thinking about something. At least they would still know these things about each other and at some point that was reassuring.  
  
J: ''Friends. Can I ask you a question ?''  
  
R: ''You already did, but yeah, sure.''  
  
Jess smiled at her comment, knowing that he could never hate her. Not even when she broke his heart.  
  
J: ''Why friends instead of........well, you know.''  
  
R: ''Cause friendship is a lot more less complicated than a relationship. We don't have to fight about going places anymore. We won't be jealous, cause we won't be together anymore. And we won't have to tell each other things unless we want to.''  
  
J: ''Is this what you want ?''  
  
R: ''Yes. I want to be friends with you again. Talk about books, watch movies and I just want to be able to hang out with you. No strings attached.''  
  
Jess had to admit that that didn't sound so bad. He could handle being friends with her again, right ? Sure it would be hard at first, but they would get there, eventually. And if it was something she really wanted, then who was he to deny it from her ?  
  
J: ''Okay.''  
  
He got up and nodded before he went to the door. Right before he left the room, he looked at her once more.  
  
J: ''I hope you got your closure.''  
  
And with that he left the room, silently closing the door behind him.  
  
As soon as he was gone, tears started to fall. Rory didn't bother to wipe them away, she just let them slide down her cheeks. Soon all she could taste was salt and her vision got blurred, as if she was standing behind a waterfall, looking at the scenery on the other end of it. Finally she fell asleep, an expression of hurt on her face, but there wasn't a hint of regret.  
  
After about an hour of fighting his emotions and trying to understand where Rory was coming from, Jess went to check up on her. He found her lying on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest and the covers kicked to the side. He walked over to her and studied her as she lay there. He hair tucked behind her ears even though she was sleeping. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but faded when he saw her tear stained face. He squadded next to her. How could he be mad at her ? He tenderly put the covers over her.  
  
Suddenly her eyelashes fluttered and Rory slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she recognized Jess, pain and misery clouded her eyes. Her heart started to ache as she met his eyes.  
  
R: ''I'm sorry, I.............I didn't.............I never meant to hurt you.''  
  
Jess reached out his hand and rested his fingers on her cheek before he started to wipe the remains of her tears away. How could he have ever thought that she would deliberately want to hurt him.  
  
Rory took in his touch, cause she knew that it would probably the last time he would touch her......like this. His fingers were so rough, yet they caressed her skin soft. His movements were slow and gentle, never once breaking eye contact with her.  
  
J: ''I know..............Go to sleep.''  
  
Jess smiled at her, letting her know that it was okay and that he would still be here when she woke up. Jess removed his fingers from her face and wanted to drop his hand, but before he could, Rory took it and entwined her fingers with his. They were both afraid of letting go. Finally Rory fell into a peaceful sleep, their hands still entwined. And by the time Sasha and Jimmy came home, Jess was asleep too. His back leaning against the wall next to where Rory was sleeping, his hand still locked around Rory's.  
  
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) (Thanks again 4 all the reviews!) 


	8. Not just another page in your history

*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.  
  
*A/N: Hey!!! This is the *LAST* chapter, but it doesn't have to be the end. I have a sequel for this story, even though I normally don't write sequels. It might take a little while for me to put up the first chapter, but I just wanted to know what you guys think. Sequel or not ? THANKS for the reviews!!! Especially to the people who have been reading this story ever since the first chapter. After this I'm going to try to finish 'You're being watched' and work on the sequel for this story.  
  
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)  
  
When Rory opened her eyes the next morning, she noticed the soft fabric of the covers against her skin. She didn't remember pulling them up last night. The last thing she remembered were Jess' dark eyes, that fitted his complex persona perfectly, looking at her with understanding and pain. And even though there was only a glimmer of the last one, it had been there and it made her heart ache just thinking about it. But it would fade, just like her love for Jess would.......... Who was she fooling ? It wouldn't fade. She would be able to run and hide from it, but it would never fade. A reassuring yet frightening thought occurred to her............ No matter how fast she would run and how many good hiding spots she would find, at one point it would catch up with her. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but eventually........it would. It would be right there in her face in the future, ready to weaken her knees and make her fall again. Knowing that it would catch up with her sooner or later made her feel unsure, but knowing that it was true, made her feel scared.  
  
She wanted to reach for the covers with her right hand, so she could pull them up even higher, but she couldn't. Her hand wouldn't move. Immediately her eyes flew to her right hand. She found that her small hand was hidden in Jess' hand. His fingers, imperfectly shaped with memories that he had already forgotten, were softly gripping her hand. She brought her gaze up to Jess' face and smiled as memories of last night entered her brain one by one. The first ones weren't the memories she wanted or would remember, but the last one she would. It would be with her forever. It was the way he looked when he agreed to be friends with her. In some strange and twisted way, they were starting over. Rory smiled again and wanted to pull her hand free, but Jess' grip just got tighter. As if he didn't want to let go.  
  
Suddenly his eyes opened. They shifted from their entwined hands to Rory's face, lingering at her smile. He graced her with a smile of his own and gently squeezed her hand before he let go. Even though he was just letting go of her hand and she was still next to him, it seemed as if he was letting go of her. It was the first time he wanted to cry. She deserved to be cried over after all.  
  
R: ''Hey.''  
  
J: ''Hey.''  
  
Jess sat up straight and almost immediately he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He reached for it with his hands, knowing that it was just soar. Sleeping in this position hadn't been that comfortable.  
  
R: ''Are you okay ?''  
  
Jess quickly glanced at her, catching the worried expression on her face. He nodded.  
  
J: ''Yeah, it's just soar. But I'm sure it would feel much better after a massage.''  
  
A sly smirk appeared on his face. Rory rolled her eyes and started to look for some clean clothes.  
  
R: ''You need to shave.''  
  
Jess' hand went to his face as she said this.  
  
J: ''You know, most girls go for facial hair.''  
  
Rory shook her head, but smiled anyway. She was glad that things were okay between them and that they could still tease each other without getting too personal. Rory got up and started to head for the shower. When she reached the door of Lily's bathroom, she turned around and met Jess' eyes.  
  
R: ''I'm leaving today.''  
  
She silently slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.  
  
Jess looked at the closed door as he repeated those three words in his head. He knew that she wouldn't stay here forever. She had a home to get back to, just he had a home here. He got up and ran his hand over his face again. Maybe he should shave.........  
  
*~*~*  
  
When Rory and Jess entered the kitchen, Sasha was sitting at the table, reading a magazine. A cup of steaming coffee was standing next to the magazine. Rory took in the smell of it, as the last fragments of her sleep disappeared.  
  
R: ''Morning Sasha.''  
  
Rory went over to the coffeepot and poured some coffee into one of the cups. This one was decorated with yellow sunflowers. Rory took a sip and sat down across from Sasha.  
  
S: ''Hey sunshines. Did you two sleep well ?''  
  
A silence fell over the kitchen, blocking out every noise from outside. Sasha noticed and looked up. She gave them each a curious look, trying not to be too suspicious. She had seen them together in Lily's room. Rory and Jess locked eyes, trying to communicate without talking. Silently arguing who would be the one to do the talking. Finally Jess sighed and gave in.  
  
J: ''It wasn't what it looked like.''  
  
R: ''Yeah, we ended up talking and staying up really late and finally we fell asleep.''  
  
Sasha took a sip from her coffee before she answered them.  
  
S: ''I believe you.''  
  
She smiled and took another sip from her coffee. Jess shook his head as he leaned against the counter and took a bite from his apple. Normally he wasn't really into the healthy crap, but he got used to it. Besides an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Jess shook his head. He couldn't believe how lame that sounded.  
  
R: ''Sasha, I have to tell you something.''  
  
S: ''Shoot.''  
  
Rory lowered her eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
R: ''I'm leaving today.''  
  
S: ''When ?''  
  
Rory looked up and locked eyes with Jess.  
  
J: ''After dinner.''  
  
Rory nodded, glad that he said it. Cause she would have gladly stayed here a couple of more days, just to spend some more time with Lily........and Jess. But she knew that it was time to leave, she got her closure and there was no reason to stick around any longer.  
  
R: ''Yeah, after dinner.''  
  
*~*~*  
  
After Rory had finished her breakfast, Jess offered to take her to the bookstore one last time. Rory agreed and she had a huge smile plastered on her face as they walked over there. She could spend all her free time in that bookstore, even though it was small compared to the one they had in Stars Hollow. She liked the fact that it's main focus was on fairy-tales. Sure, she preferred literature above mythical creatures, but just seeing the rows and rows of fairy-tales made her change her mind. It was as if they were calling her. Rory wondered if Jess had read any fairy-tales ? Did his mom read them to him when he would go to bed ? She looked up from her book and shifted her gaze to Jess, who was practically lying on the pillows.  
  
R: ''Jess.''  
  
J: ''Yes Cinderella ?''  
  
Rory saw the amusement in his eyes and smiled.  
  
R: ''Can I ask you a question ?''  
  
J: ''No, I don't know where your glass slippers are. Anything else ?''  
  
Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
R: ''You know fairy-tales, right ?''  
  
J: ''Huh ?''  
  
R: ''I mean you know the stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty............''  
  
J: ''Rory, where are you going with this ?''  
  
R: ''Just answer the question.''  
  
Jess sighed.  
  
J: ''Yes I know them. I mean Sleeping Beauty and Snow White were hot.''  
  
He grinned.  
  
R: ''Thanks for sharing your opinion with me. Do you like fairy-tales ?''  
  
J: ''Not really. Too cheesy and happy for my taste. I mean every story ends with and they live happily ever after.''  
  
R: ''So ?''  
  
J: ''So, that isn't reality. Sure they live happily ever after until the prince cheats on the princess and they get a divorce.''  
  
R: ''I don't like your fairy-tales.''  
  
J: ''Too realistic for you ?''  
  
R: ''To close to the truth for me.''  
  
Jess looked at her with a confused look in his eyes.  
  
R: ''It reminds me of my mom and dad. You know, my dad leaving us when I was little and my mom raising me without the help of others. We barely had any money for food and clothes.''  
  
J: ''The no clothes part sound okay.''  
  
Rory shot him an annoyed look.  
  
J: ''I was just kidding. You had a harder childhood that I thought.''  
  
R: ''Gee thanks.''  
  
J: ''You know what I mean. You don't look like the kind of person who had a hard time growing up.''  
  
R: ''I know. It's hard to believe too since my grandparents are, loaded I believe you would say. Besides things weren't that bad. My mom wouldn't have been working in the Inn now if it wasn't for what happened. And we probably wouldn't have ended up in Stars Hollow.''  
  
J: ''You like Stars Hollow, don't you ?''  
  
Rory shrugged.  
  
R: ''It kinda grows on you.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, it does.''  
  
R: ''Jess, did your mom ever read fairy-tales to you ? When you went to sleep or anything ?''  
  
Jess snorted.  
  
J: ''Yeah right. She was too busy getting drunk, high or laid.''  
  
R: ''There must have been times when you loved her, right ?''  
  
Jess nodded, digging up almost ancient memories from the back of his mind.  
  
J: ''There were a few times when everything would be okay.''  
  
R: ''Good.''  
  
Jess nodded and met her eyes.  
  
J: ''We have a couple of more hours, do you wanna check out the other stores ?''  
  
R: ''After I've finished this book.''  
  
J: ''How about I buy you the book and then we leave ?''  
  
R: ''You don't have to buy me the book Jess.''  
  
J: ''I know, but I want to. Besides this way you'll have something to read on the trip home.''  
  
R: ''If you insist.''  
  
J: ''You are such a fighter.''  
  
Rory stuck her tongue out as Jess grabbed the 'Forgotten Fairy-Tales' and headed for the counter.  
  
After they left the bookstore, Jess showed her the rest of Venice Beach. He even went with her when she went to buy souvenirs for her mom, Luke and Lane. When Rory finally found the 'perfect' cap for Luke, they headed back. While they were walking, Rory glanced at Jess, studying his face.  
  
R: ''You shaved.''  
  
Jess smiled and didn't say anything as he reached for her hand.  
  
*~*~*  
  
While Rory was packing her stuff, Lily suddenly came jumping into the room.  
  
Lily: ''Hey Rory. Do you like puppies ? I do, but according to my dad we can't get have another puppy, cause we already have a lot of dogs. Even though I explained to him that a puppy isn't the same as a dog. Anyway Priscilla, my best friend, just got a new puppy and she's so sweet. Her name's.................... You're packing ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah.''  
  
Lily stopped jumping and walked over to Rory.  
  
Lily: ''You're leaving ?''  
  
Rory nodded as she tried to squeeze the souvenirs into her bag.  
  
R: ''After dinner.''  
  
Lily didn't say another thing and kneeled down next to Rory, to help her pack. When they were done, Lily looked up at Rory.  
  
Lily: ''Did you and Jess talk ?''  
  
R: ''Yeah.''  
  
Lily: ''And what was the conclusion ?''  
  
Rory softly laughed, wondering if Lily knew how smart she was.  
  
R: ''Jess and I broke up.''  
  
Lily: ''Why ?''  
  
R: ''Cause it's easier to be friends.''  
  
Rory wondered if that was true. Was it really easier to be friends ? She shoved that thought aside, when Sasha called them for dinner.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Rory was surprised to see that everyone was sitting at the table in the kitchen. For once they were actually using that table. During the dinner the conversation was light, which gave Rory the time to enjoy her last dinner with Jess' family. Cause that was what they were, his family. She smiled and listened to the conversation that was going on.  
  
Lily: ''And she's really cute. Can we have one daddy ? Please ?''  
  
Lily pouted and looked at Jimmy. Jimmy shook his head.  
  
Jimmy: ''We already have enough dogs Lily.''  
  
J: ''Yeah, you can practically form your own dog army.''  
  
Lily shot him a look and Jimmy softly laughed at Jess' comment.  
  
Sasha: ''Come one Jimmy, we have room for one more.''  
  
Jimmy: ''Not you too Sash.''  
  
Rory stopped eating and just watched them banter and laugh. For a lonely second she felt like an outsider and she missed her mom. She heard Jess laugh and smiled. She knew that she was going to miss this place too.  
  
*~*~*  
  
After dinner, she got her bag and went into the living room to say goodbye to everyone. She walked over to Sasha and Jimmy and smiled.  
  
R: ''Thanks again for letting me stay here.''  
  
Sasha quickly hugged her.  
  
S: ''It was our pleasure sunshine, right Jimmy ?''  
  
Jimmy: ''Whatever she says.''  
  
Sasha gave him a look and Jimmy smiled.  
  
Jimmy: ''I was just kidding. Geez. You're welcome here any time Rory.''  
  
R: ''Thanks.''  
  
She turned around to say goodbye to Lily. But before she could say anything, the little girls hugged her. When she let go, Lily handed her a piece of paper.  
  
Lily: ''My e-mail.''  
  
Rory took it, feeling touched that Lily wanted to mail with her.  
  
R: ''I'll mail you as soon as I get home, promise.''  
  
She smiled at Lily.  
  
R: ''Bye Lily.''  
  
Lily: ''Bye.''  
  
Rory waved at everyone and left for the bus stop with Jess. They walked in silence.  
  
*~*~*  
  
When they got there, the bus was just arriving. Rory stopped walking and turned around to look at Jess.  
  
J: ''I guess this is goodbye.''  
  
R: ''Guess so.''  
  
She locked eyes with Jess.  
  
J: ''Rory........did you mean it ? What you said on the phone at your graduation ?''  
  
Rory gave him a confused look, not sure what he meant.  
  
Jess struggled with his feeling, wondering if he should be asking her this. They did break up after all, so it wasn't really part of them anymore. Still he couldn't resist, he had to know. Even though he could never tell her how much those words meant to him.  
  
J: ''Did you love me ?''  
  
Rory was a little taken back by his question, she never thought he would have remembered let alone ask her. Of course he remembered, but that was probably because she had told him that she might have loved him. She shyly smiled and nodded, wiping a strand of hair away from her face.  
  
R: ''I still do.............and I always will.''  
  
Rory moved closer to him and hugged him. Jess placed his hands around her waist and pulled her against his chest, taking in her scent one last time. Rory wanted to cry again. This did seem like goodbye..........  
  
R: ''I'm going to miss you.''  
  
J: ''Same here.''  
  
Rory knew that even though he didn't exactly say it, he was going to miss her just as much as she was going to miss him. Probably even more. They broke their hug and looked at each other, feeling a little uncomfortable. Jess took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. A smirk broke through on his face.  
  
J: ''Being friends is going to be hell..........''  
  
R: ''But we'll get through it.''  
  
J: ''Bring it on.''  
  
Rory smiled and Jess realized once more how beautiful she was. She was probably going to be the biggest loss in his life, but at the same time his biggest win.  
  
R: ''See ya Jess.''  
  
J: ''Goodbye Rory.''  
  
Rory gave him one more look before she stepped on the bus. She got a seat at the window, so she could observe and remember Jess the way he was standing there. Hands casually placed in his pockets, black hair an organized mess, unreadable gaze and a crooked grin on his face. Rory placed her hand on against the window, and traced his face with her fingers. Jess nodded and smiled. When the bus drove off, Rory didn't look back. This scene reminded her too much of the time she went to New York to visit Jess. Only this time Jess wouldn't come back to Stars Hollow......  
  
That night, both of them cried. Thinking that they would never see each other again. Friends or not.  
  
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) (Please read the A/N for *IMPORTANT* news!) And btw the sequel will be called 'Ace of Hearts', so be sure to read it when I put it up. Thanks for the reviews! :-) 


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